Pope Benedict XVI

Chronology of Coverage

Jul. 12, 2014

Pope Francis and his predecessor Benedict XVI find themselves confronting odd schism of having their two countries competing in the finals of the World Cup. MORE

Jun. 14, 2013

International Criminal Court in The Hague says it will not investigate or prosecute former Pope Benedict XVI and other leaders of the Roman Catholic Church on allegations of covering up sexual abuse of children by priests; lawyers for victims, who filed suit in 2011, say outcome was expected but case has still raised profile of important issue. MORE

May. 30, 2013

Pope Benedict XVI has forsaken his red shoes for brown loafers from Mexico, and the nation rejoices, anticipating the strengthening of an entire industry. MORE

May. 3, 2013

Return of Benedict XVI, pope emeritus, to Vatican City two months after his retirement inaugurates unusual living situation of former and current popes living within Vatican walls; it remains to be seen how relationship of Benedict and Pope Francis will play out. MORE

Mar. 24, 2013

Pope emeritus Benedict XVI has lunch with Pope Francis, and Vatican officials paint picture of seamless transition; reality of pope and emeritus pope living in his shadow will probably be more complicated than officials are conceding. MORE

Mar. 13, 2013

Group of 115 cardinals meets in Sistine Chapel in Vatican City to begin ritualized deliberations over who will replace Pope Benedict XVI; many in Catholic world are demanding changes in how church is run, but few agree on what changes should be. MORE

Mar. 8, 2013

Memo from Rome; cardinals who elect next pontiff of Roman Catholic Church appear to be looking for someone who combines charisma of Pope John Paul II with grit to tackle disarray and scandal in Vatican; focus on communication and good governance is in many ways acknowledgement of deficiencies of Pope Benedict XVI. MORE

Mar. 6, 2013

New York Times/CBS News poll finds that the Roman Catholic church hierarchy has lost the confidence and allegiance of many American Catholics; seven out of 10 say Pope Benedict XVI and Vatican have done poor job of handling sexual abuse; many believe that church and bishops are out of touch, and that the next pope should lead church in more modern direction on issues like birth control and ordaining women and married men as priests. MORE

Mar. 5, 2013

Some 145 cardinals gather on first day of meetings required upon end of papacy in Vatican City; general congregation offers chance for cardinals to make case for what kind of pope they want. MORE

Mar. 4, 2013

Cardinal Timothy M Dolan, New York's archbishop, says daily life of Catholic Church is more important than picking Pope Benedict XVI's successor; Dolan celebrates Mass in St Peter's Basilica's grottoes in Rome, where he is to participate in conversations for electing a new pope. MORE

Mar. 3, 2013

Resignation of Pope Benedict XVI will reverberate for years to come and could change nature of modern papacy, starting with election of his successor; Vatican experts and some church leaders say that Benedict’s decision holds potential to set limits for future popes, and make them more subject to pressure from critics. MORE

Mar. 3, 2013

Mar. 1, 2013

Pope Benedict XVI departs Vatican, becoming first pope in modern history to retire; Benedict leaves in his wake Vatican hierarchy facing scandals and intrigue that are casting shadow over cardinals entrusted with electing his successor. MORE

Mar. 1, 2013

Op-Ed article by author Paul Eli suggests American Catholics give up Catholicism for Lent and seize opportunity to examine truth of the faith; contends, in light of Pope Benedict XVI's resignation, that change in church can happen, and brief reprieve from church may allow faithful to consider what else about faith can be changed. MORE

Feb. 28, 2013

Tens of thousands of Catholics gather in St Peter's Square to see Pope Benedict XVI give valedictory message. MORE

Feb. 28, 2013

Op-Ed article by Hans Kung, professor emeritus of ecumenical theology, raises question of whether resignation of Pope Benedict XVI can pave way for reform within Roman Catholic Church. MORE

Feb. 27, 2013

News analysis; sudden resignation of most senior Roman Catholic cardinal in Britain, who stepped aside in face of accusations that he made unwanted sexual advances toward priests, shows that taint of scandal can force cardinal from participating in selection of new pope; at least dozen other cardinals tarnished with accusations that they had failed to remove priests accused of sexually abusing minors are among those gathering for conclave to select successor to Pope Benedict XVI, which has angered advocates for abuse victims. MORE

Feb. 27, 2013

Castel Gandolfo Journal; Castel Gandolfo, small town outside of Rome, is preparing to welcome Pope Benedict XVI, who will reside there for two months after resigning as pope; town has hosted succession of pontiffs seeking solace from Roman summer since 1600s. MORE

Feb. 27, 2013

Vatican says Pope Benedict XVI will keep name Benedict XVI and become Roman pontiff emeritus or pope emeritus, putting end to days of speculation on how he will be addressed once he ceases to be leader of the world’s 1.1 billion Roman Catholics. MORE

Feb. 26, 2013

Cardinal Keith O'Brien, most senior British Roman Catholic cleric, announces his resignation day after being accused of 'inappropriate acts' with priests, saying he will not attend conclave to elect new pope to replace Benedict XVI. MORE

Feb. 25, 2013

British newspaper The Observer reports that Cardinal Keith O'Brien, most senior British Roman Catholic cleric, has been accused of committing 'inappropriate acts' in his relations with three priests and one former priest; report also says that complaints reached pope's diplomatic representative in Rome week before Pope Benedict XVI announced his resignation. MORE

Feb. 24, 2013

Speculative reports in Italian news media alleging scandals within Roman Catholic Church have dominated headlines as cardinals from around world arrive in Rome to elect successor to Pope Benedict XVI; reports, which Vatican says are attempts to influence election, suggest fierce internal struggle as prelates scramble to consolidate power and attack their rivals in dying days of troubled papacy. MORE

Feb. 24, 2013

Roman Catholic Church's explosive growth in Africa has led to serious talk of possibility of African cardinal succeeding Pope Benedict XVI; Catholic population in Africa grew nearly 21 percent between 2005 and 2010, far outstripping rest of world. MORE

Feb. 24, 2013

Op-Ed article by author Elmore Leonard reflects on Pope Benedict XVI's resignation, and recalls that one need not be cardinal to be chosen as pope; posits that female pope would be refreshing. MORE

Feb. 23, 2013

Vatican denies that decision by Pope Benedict XVI to send senior official to new post in Latin America is linked to secret report about leaked papal papers. MORE

Feb. 23, 2013

Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel will close to public for several weeks, as cardinals gather in Vatican Museums to elect successor of Pope Benedict XVI; rooms painted by Raphael in Pontifical palace now open after 30-year restoration. MORE

Feb. 21, 2013

Vatican says that Pope Benedict XVI is considering changing rules for election of his successor, potentially allowing process to start sooner. MORE

Feb. 19, 2013

Frank Bruni Op-Ed column holds that drama surrounding election of Pope Benedict XVI's successor will have little long term importance in North America and Western Europe, where Catholics feel disconnected from church hierarchy and official doctrine. MORE

Feb. 18, 2013

Vatican City Memo; Pope Benedict XVI’s decision to resign has puzzled faithful and scholars, who wonder whether he will lose his infallibility as result of stepping down and if transformation might undermine authority of church teaching. MORE

Feb. 17, 2013

Cardinals gathering at the Sistine Chapel in March to elect a new pope to succeed Pope Benedict XVI have been quietly evaluating potential successors for years; subtle politics will influence the very intuitive, often unpredictable process 117 cardinals use in their votes. MORE

Feb. 16, 2013

Pope Benedict XVI names Ernst von Freyberg, German aristocrat and industrialist, as head of Vatican Bank, reducing Italian presence in secretive institution that has struggled to restore its credibility and meet international transparency norms. MORE

Feb. 15, 2013

Pope Benedict XVI takes leave of parish priests and clergy of diocese of Rome and indicates that he will not hold public role once his resignation becomes official on February 28. MORE

Feb. 14, 2013

Pope Benedict XVI presides over Ash Wednesday services, his final public Mass, at St Peter's Basilica, thanking faithful for their support during his nearly eight-year pontificate, which will end on Feb 28 when he becomes first pope to resign in almost 600 years. MORE

Feb. 14, 2013

Cardinal Timothy M Dolan, archbishop of New York, says resignation of Pope Benedict XVI is living example of humility and penance, message of Ash Wednesday. MORE

Feb. 14, 2013

Marktl Am Inn Journal; residents of Marktl Am Inn, German town where Pope Benedict XVI was born, never prospered as much as was hoped after he became pope, and town will likely get even fewer visitors after he steps down. MORE

Feb. 14, 2013

Excerpts from Twitter comments about resignation of Pope Benedict XVI. MORE

Feb. 13, 2013

Scandals have battered Pope Benedict XVI's papacy, leading him to decide he could best serve the church by resigning, a momentous decision with far-reaching implications that are still not fully understood; Benedict had hoped his papacy would rekindle Catholic faith in Europe, but he apparently came to understand that only a new pope with far more energy could lead the church and clean house inside the hierarchy. MORE

Feb. 13, 2013

Unusual circumstance of Pope Benedict XVI’s plan to retire at end of Feb 2013 presents series of questions for the Vatican to address, from how former pope will be addressed to what to do with papal ring used to seal important documents, traditionally destroyed upon pope’s death. MORE

Feb. 13, 2013

Cardinal Timothy M Dolan, archbishop of New York, is among cardinals being considered to succeed Pope Benedict XVI, though he is considers a long shot. MORE

Feb. 13, 2013

Op-Ed article by author Garry Wills highlights paradox in which only the pope has authority to make Roman Catholic Church change, but it is exactly that authority that stands in way of change; expresses pessimism that Benedict XVI's successor will remedy discord in church. MORE

Feb. 12, 2013

News analysis; if Pope Benedict XVI is judged by written words alone his tenure has been a solid success, but he often appeared to carom from one crisis to the next when it came to the major challenges facing the Roman Catholic Church; to many traditionalists, he is a hero who has reeled in the excesses of Vatican II, but liberal Catholics from the church’s social justice wing feel that he was intolerant of the church’s left and overly solicitous of the right. MORE

Feb. 12, 2013

Pope Benedict XVI’s surprise announcement that he will resign on Feb 28 sets the stage for a succession battle that is likely to determine the future course of a church troubled by scandal and declining faith in its traditional strongholds around the world; citing advanced years and infirmity, Benedict is the first pope in six centuries to resign; decision sets up a struggle between conservatives, who advocate a smaller church of more fervent Catholics, and those who believe that the church can extend its reach. MORE

Feb. 12, 2013

Pope Benedict XVI's announcement that he will step down is first papal resignation in 598 years; Vatican history experts say that circumstances behind departures of small handful of other popes in history had nothing to do with age or health. MORE

Feb. 12, 2013

News of Pope Benedict XVI's resignation is met with surprise and some sadness in Rome and around the world; Benedict will resign on Feb 28, becoming first pope to do so in six centuries. MORE

Feb. 12, 2013

Op-Ed article by Rev James Martin, editor at large at Catholic magazine America, reflects on Pope Benedict XVI's tenure, and lesson that his resignation offers. MORE

Feb. 12, 2013

Op-Ed article by author Jason Berry outlines ways in which Pope Benedict XVI failed to address some of Roman Catholic Church's errors; urges Benedict to force out Cardinal Angelo Sodano, dean of College of Cardinals and man who, more than any other, embodies misuse of power that has corrupted church hierarchy. MORE

Dec. 25, 2012

Pope Benedict XVI, delivering his annual Christmas Eve message, expresses concern for place of faith in people’s busy lives, prays for peace in Middle East and calls for end to violence in Syria. MORE

Dec. 23, 2012

Pope Benedict XVI appoints Boston priest Rev Robert W Oliver as Vatican's new sexual crimes prosecutor; Oliver handled clergy sexual abuse cases in Boston's Roman Catholic Church at height of its scandal; pope also pardons former butler, who was serving prison term after leaking confidential documents. MORE

Dec. 13, 2012

Pope Benedict XVI dispatches his first Twitter message, opening new chapter in papal discourse. MORE

Dec. 4, 2012

Vatican announces that Pope Benedict XVI will begin posting messages on Twitter; move is aimed at drawing in Roman Catholic Church's followers, particularly young people. MORE

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Multimedia

Before he became pope, Benedict XVI held a critical decision-making position in the Vatican that had authority over cases involving priests who sexually molested children, but did not assert it for many years.